Powerful new play and ground-breaking criminal convictions shine a light on honour-based abuse and forced marriage

Derby Theatre is proud to announce that they will present, in association with Karma Nirvana, an award-winning human rights charity who support the victims of honour-based abuse and forced marriage, a powerful new play called Beyond Shame. This heart-wrenching story of survival, will run at Derby Theatre for three dates only from Thursday 6 until Saturday 8 September.

Beyond Shame is inspired by the experiences of real survivors who have contacted Karma Nirvana for support over many years and has been informed by interviews with both professionals and survivors (men and women). This powerful and vital new piece of theatre, with a mission to raise the public’s awareness and the effect that honour crimes can have on its victims, also marks the charity’s 25th anniversary. The announcement of the production coincides with the ground-breaking landmark forced marriage cases which recently resulted in two successful criminal prosecutions and prison sentences for the parents. Beyond Shame will highlight the challenges faced by victims that experience honour systems within their families.

Karma Nirvana was founded in Derby in 1993 by the survivor, campaigner and author Jasvinder Sanghera CBE and as part of its legacy, Beyond Shame will also embark on a regional schools’ tour to raise awareness amongst teenagers who remain the most affected group. The play will explore how young people are impacted and enable them to feel more empowered, knowing that there is support and that they are not alone.

Jasvinder Sanghera (CEO, Karma Nirvana) said: “We are delighted to be working with Derby Theatre as this production marks 25 years of Karma Nirvana’s work that started in Derby. The play is rooted in the real life experiences of the many we support and working with Derby Theatre enables us to reach broader audiences including schools and colleges. Our vision is to tour nationally to educate, prevent abuse and to spread the message of how ‘cultural acceptance does not mean accepting the unacceptable’. This year, we have achieved two successful criminal prosecutions and this production will raise awareness that forced marriage is a criminal offence.”

Caroline Barth (Creative Learning Director, Derby Theatre) said: “We feel it is a very important time to be working in partnership with Karma Nirvana to co-produce this incredibly significant piece of theatre and to raise awareness of the issues explored within the piece as far and wide as possible. As Beyond Shame will also tour to schools and colleges in and around the city, this is an excellent opportunity for us to raise awareness amongst students and support teachers in their safeguarding role.”
Post-show discussions with the cast and members of the Karma Nirvana team will follow each performance of Beyond Shame at the Theatre in September.

Tickets for Beyond Shame are £10 (concessions £8). For more information and to book tickets call the Box Office on 01332 593939 or online at www.derbytheatre.co.uk. PLEASE NOTE: Beyond Shame is recommended for ages 11+.

Karma Nirvana was set up in the front room of Jasvinder Sanghera’s home way back in 1993. Over the years, Karma Nirvana grew from a small local charity in Derby to one that holds significant influence on the international stage. Its greatest achievement was to establish the first and only National Helpline dedicated to victims of honour-based abuse and forced marriage. Karma Nirvana have also been influential in the lobbying of government and ran their own campaign to support forced marriages becoming a criminal offence. The founder and CEO of the charity, Jasvinder Sanghera has also been awarded a CBE for her work in the field. Karma Nirvana are marking their 25th anniversary this year and the play we are producing alongside Derby Theatre will encompass much of what Karma Nirvana has witnessed at first hand through victim and survivor experiences.

HELPLINE – THE FACTS (for 2017) 12,935 HELPLINE REPORTS: 3,652 calls related to professionals seeking advice. 1,185 were single 47 cases in a relationship 35 victims per week experienced Coercive Control 22 reports received every week from young people aged 17 11 reports per week from men 70%+ callers identified immediate family as perpetrators 50%+ callers identified their mothers as the perpetrators